Route-map holder



May-28, 1929. H. H. WEBB 1,714,650

ROUTE MAP HOLDER Filed NOV. l2, 1927 INI/ENT@ Z t 111 HarzlzH .M1222 A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 28, 1929.

UNITED STATES HARRY H. WEBB, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ROUTE-MA1? EOLDER.

Application filed November 12, 192'?.

My invention relates to a map holding' device for a special form of road map or route map, designed for automobile or airplane tourists, and drivers.

rPhe large amount of travel by automobile in these times and the rapidly increasing use of airplane t'or flights over long distances alte desirable a convenient map of the road or route to be traveled, tor the guidance ot lo drivers and air pilots.

The primary object ot my invention is to provide a map holder, which will hold a comple-te and continuous map ot the road or route to be traveled and which may he i manipulated to keep in view only that part oi. the map which is needed `for guidance at any particular time.

A further object is to provide a map hold er oil the character described which readily may be mounted in an automobile, airplane or like vehicle in such a position as to be constantly under the eye of the driver or pilot.

Other ohJects and advantages will appear hereinafter and while I show herewith and will describe a preferred iorm of construetion, l desire it to be understood thatl I do not limit myseliE to such preferred it'orm but that various changes and adaptations may be made therein without departing trom the spirit of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

Referring to the drawings which accompany vthis specification and form a part thereof.

Fig. l is a plan view of a map holder eni- 3 bodying the principles and features ol my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the map holder device shown in Fior. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view et' saine, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4l is an enlarged sectional view of the device, taken on line 1f-4 o Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the map holder taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing one of the chambers and one oi the spools, the middle parts being shown broken away to save space.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View of the device showing the side thereotopposite to that shown in Fig. 2.

lConsidering the drawings more in detail my map holder will be seen to comprise a rectangular casing 9, preferably made of sheet metal, two spools 10, one in each end of the casing, and a relatively long sheet Serial No. 232,774.

'l1 of paper, cloth or other suitable material, upon which the inap is drawn or printed. rllhe ends of said sheet il are 'wound on said 'two spools so that a straight section l2 thereof stretched lieiween them.

The base 13 ot casing 9 is made et a single piece et sheet metal, cut to suitable length and width with opposite lateral extensions near each end vwhich are bent at right angles to the base to form end-walls la l'or each of the two chambers l5 in which the spools lO End-walls lll are dished inwardly in the center, at 16, and perforar tiens 17 are made therein to receive pivot pins and 'i9 termed on the ends ot' spools l0. The ends` of the base sheet are cut and bent to torni hinge loops 2O andthe sides are turned upwardly and 'toward each other, as at 2l, to torni opposite grooves 22 in which the edges ot the stretched section 12 of map sheet ll are held so that they run freely therein.

Sen'ii-cylindrical chamber covers 23, bent to con'lorm rather closely to end-walls lei. and provi led on one side with hinge loops 24, adapted to dove-tail with loops 20 and on the other side with outwardly turned flanges 25, are held in hinged relation to hase 13 by hinge pins 2G which extend through loops 20 and 24h A helical spring 27, adapted to yieidably hold cover 23 in its closed position, is mounted on each hinge pin 2G at aiproimately its middle part. A weak leali-spring 2S, adapted to press lightly against the map rolls 29 on spools l() so as to prevent undue loosening ot the 'former on the latter, is attached to the inner side oli each cover 23 at approximately the middle of its length.

A diametrical slot 30, adapted to receive one end of the map sheet, is eut through each spool shaft 31 almost from end to end there-- oli. Pivot pins 19 on one end of each spool are made longl enough to project somewhat beyond end walls lll and their projecting ends are threaded so that knurled nuts 82 may be screwed thereon, said knurled :nuts serving as a means whereby the spools may be turned to wind the inap sheet oit ol one spool onto the other and thus to shift the map -from left to right or in the reverse direction.

In order that the map holder may be turned into diilerent positions and may be set vto corn respond with the road or route which is he ing xreled, swivel bracket 33 provided for mountingr it. This swivel bracket consists ot a transverse plate 3l fixed tothe under side and in the iniddle et base ll, said plate 3l having a threaded pivot pin 35 fixed in its center, a bent plate 36 adapted to be fastened to a steering` wheel, inst ruinent board or other suitable device, said bent plate being turnable on pivot pin 35, and a clampingr nut 3T screwed on pivot pin 35 so as to clanip the inap hoh-ter on bent plate 3G and thus to hold it in any desired angular position.

It will be observed that the spool shafts Si, inap rolls 2S) and hins. d covers 2B are all located above the tace ot the base plate 13, the cover hinges 2G being in the saine plane with said base plate. rthis construction and arrangement ther-chere provides for supporting niap rolls ot relatively large diameter upon the device without interfering With turning the base plate to the desired position around its pivot pin 35, and also provides for convenient opening` and closing;` oit the inap roll covers 23.

The operation ot Iny inap holder is evident troni the foregoing' description. As a niaiter ot course, a special inap inust be prepared, in necessary detaih tor each route to be traveled, suitable lines and characters being; drawn or printed on the upper side of inap sheet ll, from end to end thereof, to provide a Continuous inap oit the route. The ends of the sheet are then Wound on the two spools and the spools are placed in their respective chambers by opening); up covers 23 and spring'- inp; apart endovalls 14 to allow pivot-pins i8 and i9 to be inserted into pertorations l?, the edges oit the extended section l2 of the inap sheet bei 11 gsiinultaneo usly guided into grooves Covers are then allowed to close, under the intluence ot springs 2T, and knurled nuts $32 are screwed onto pivot pins 19. The inap holder having been mounted to suit the convenience o'i' the driver or pilot he may shiitt the inap in accordance With the progress ot his journey by turning' nuts 32.

ldhile niy inap holder niay be used to the greatest advai'itage, perhaps in connection with automobiles and airplanes, it is evident that it inay be used also in connection with railway trains., in place olf the usual time tables7 and in connection Wit-h delivery wagons, to indicate the delivery7 route in place el' the usual route lists.

rlaving thus illustrated and described iny inventioin l claiin:

l. A inap holder comprising` Va relatively sinall niei al casing; tiro spool chambers forinings; the end parts et said easing, said spool chambers beingv lined in parallel spaced relation to each other on an open-faced base which is provided with opposite grooves at it sides; springcontrolled covers 011 said spool chambers, said covers being` hinged to the ends et said base; a relatively long inap sheet having, its ends Wound on said spools and an interif'enine` section thereof stretched alonp' said base with its ed in said grooves; means whereby said casing n'iay be mounted so that it inay be turned and fixed in any angular position, and hnurled knobs removably ttached to sa id spools whereby they inay be turned to shift said inap sheet longitudinally in said easing.

A inap holderv comprising a relatively low support adapted to rest upon a horizontal fi-iurii'aee, an elongated inap-holding,` base turnaliily nioun ted upon said support te swing in a horizontal plane, a horizontal shatt mounted upon each end portion oit said base above the plane thereof, 1nap rolls supported by said shafts7 and senii-cylindrical covers tor said rolls, each oit said covers beingl hinged to an outer end portion of said base and beingl manually swingable upon its hinge to atl'ord access to the inap roll covered thereby.

HARRY H. WEBB. 

